Karim Benzema takes potshot at Lionel Messi? Real Madrid star posts cryptic message, takes a dig at FIFA Best Player Awards winner

Karim Benzema: Did Real Madrid’s center forward Karim Benzema really post a cryptic message on Instagram after Lionel Messi won the 2022 FIFA Best men’s player of the year award?

Messi lifted the trophy in Paris on Monday (27^th February), beating Kylin Mbappe and Karim Benzema who scored 2^nd and 3^rd respectively. Voting is done by players, coaches, and captains around the globe. Messi raked in 52 points, just eight more than Mbappe's tally. Benzema came in third on the voting list behind the two Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstars, with 34 points to his name.

Benzema is taking shots at Messi, Benzema shared a screenshot of a post from one of his fan accounts on his Instagram story. The post details all of the Real Madrid striker's achievements from August 2022 until the end of the FIFA nomination period for the 2022 Player of the Year award.

You can see this in this tweet by @eurofootcom below:

Benzema is trying to say that he is a suitable winner for the award. The France icon lifted the 2022 Ballon d'Or award but failed to play a single minute at the 2022 FIFA World Cup due to an injury. Meanwhile, Messi helped his teammates to win the tournament and also took home the Golden Ball. The World Cup triumph, especially against Mbappe and Benzema's France in the final, could have swung the pendulum in Lionel Messi's favor with regard to the award. He is, for many, an early favorite to win the Ballon d'Or later this year.